Typically, a double deck video cassette recorder (hereinafter referred to as a "VCR") having two video decks comprises a drive mechanism for a master tape and another drive mechanism for a slave tape. Conventional double deck VCRs of this kind may perform a tape to tape duplication (dubbing) operation wherein the playback operation by one of the tape drive mechanisms and the recording operation by the other tape drive mechanism can be started at the same time; and a linking operation wherein the recording operation (or playback operation)by one of the tape drive mechanisms can be started simultaneously with the completion of recording operation (or playback operation) by the other tape drive mechanism in addition to the conventional recording or playback operation, as is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent No. 2588/1979 of Hitachi Ltd.
The linking operation in the double deck VCR may be used in an automatic monitoring system adapted to successively record from one tape to the other scenes captured by a video camera installed in a restricted or security area whenever the entrance into the area is sensed by a sensing means.
However, one of the drawbacks of the linking operation which may be employed in the monitoring system is that it is limited to a one-time performance from the master tape to the slave tape and initiated from the master tape only; and, as a result, it is impossible to continuously record between the two tapes or to fully record on the entire portion of the slave tape.